Grein



Jan. 24, 1956 H. GREIN 2,732,142

THREAD WINDING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN! "EN TOR. HQn man Qvrein YVVMMQ S Q NW4 Jan. 24, 1956 GRElN 2,732,142

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United States Patent O THREAD WINDING APPARATUS Hermann Grein, Remscheid-Lennep, Germany, assignor to Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Wup pertal-Oberbarmen, Germany Application November 29, 1951, Serial No. 258,790

Claims priority, application Germany December 4, 1950 3 Claims. (Cl. 24245) The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for winding thread onto a spool. Such devices are generally used in spinning machines in the textile industry.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus which is capable of varying the tension in a thread as it is being wound onto a spool.

Another of the objects of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for gradually decreasing the tension in a thread as it is being wound onto a spool so that the thread will be smoothly wound onto the spool and will be removable therefrom without any catching or other difficulties.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is made of relatively few simple parts and which is very reliable in operation.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a thread winding apparatus which includes a take-up spool onto which thread is to be wound. The apparatus is provided with a tensioning means for producing a tension in the thread as it travels to the take-up spool, and this tensioning means has a tensionadjusting part which is movably mounted and at least partially magnetic. On the apparatus, adjacent to the tension adjusting part of the tensioning means, there is located a magnet which is movable between one position, where it produces a relatively large force on the tension adjusting part to produce a relatively high tension in the moving thread, and another position, where a relatively small force is produced on the tension adjusting part to produce a relatively low tension in the thread. A linkage means is mounted on the apparatus, bears against the take-up spool, and is operatively connected to the magnet to move the same from said one position toward said other position as the diameter of the take-up spool increases so as to gradually decrease the tension in the thread as it is being wound onto the take-up spool.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a schematic side view of one possible apparatus for carrying out the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 taken along line AB of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic end view of the structure shown in side view in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. l a frame on which there is fixedly mounted the stationary grate structure 1' and the grate structure 1 which is pivotally mounted on the frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for movement into a position where it meshes with the grate structure 1, These grate structures are simply plates which are channel-shaped at their left edge portions, as viewed in Fig. 3, and which are provided with a series of staggered openings so that a plate portion between a pair of openings on one of the grate structures may be located within an opening of the other of the grate structures, as shown in Fig. 2. The pivotally mounted grate structure 1 has, fixedly connected thereto, an arm 10 which is threadedly bored adjacent its left end, as viewed in Fig. 2, and carries a magnetic bolt 9 which may be adjustably located in the threaded bore of arm 10.

On the frame of the apparatus there is rotatably mounted a circular magnet 7 having poles as indicated in Fig. 1. The take-up spool 4 is rotatively mounted on the frame of the apparatus adjacent the upper part thereof. A shaft 6 is rotatably mounted on the apparatus, as is illustrated in Fig. 3, and has fixedly mounted thereon the grooved member 6. Shaft 6 rotatably supports the member 5 which has a weight 5' joined to the lower end thereof and which, at its upper end, supports the thread guide member 3.for movement laterally along the take-up spool 4, the thread guide member 3 having a part thereof engaging the groove of member 6' so that the thread guide 3 is laterally moved along member 5 during rotation of take-up spool 4 together with rotation of shaft 6 by the gearing shown at the right hand side of Fig. 3. The member 5 has mounted thereon a stationary or rotatable guide member 3' which leads the thread to the thread-guide 3. A shaft 8 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to the magnet 7, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and at its opposite end extends through an opening of a bracket member 8' fixedly mounted on memer 5, this opposite end of shaft 8 being threaded so that a nut may be mounted thereon to bear against the bracket 8 so as to adjust the length of shaft 8 between the bracket 8' and the magnet 7, the shaft 8 having a collar fixedly mounted thereon and a coil spring mounted therearound between the collar and bracket 8 to urge the nut on shaft 8 against the bracket 8'.

As is shown in Fig. l, the north pole of magnet 7 is located adjacent to bolt 9 so as to strongly attract the latter and urge the movable grate structure 1 into meshing position with the stationary grate structure 1 so as to produce a relatively high tension in the thread} passing over members 3' and 3 to the take-up spool 4. As the diameter of the take-up spool 4 increases, the thread guide member 3 bearing against the take-up spool is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, so as to rotate member 5 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1', the weight 5' serving to keep the member 3 in light abutment against spool 4. As the member 5 continues to turn, the north pole of magnet 7 is gradually moved away from the bolt 9 so as to decrease the magnetic force on this bolt and thereby decrease the force with which grate structure 1 is moved into a meshing position with grate structure 1, so that in this way the tension in the thread 2 is gradually decreased as the diameter of the thread on spool 4 increases to provide a spool which has the thread properly wound thereon and easily removable therefrom. The members 3, 5, 6 and 8 form a linkage means, bearing against the take-up spool 4 and connected at one end to the magnet 7 for turning the same in a direction to decrease the magnetic force exerted by the magnet on the bolt 9 as the amount of thread on the spool increases. The bolt 9 may be adjustably located in the arm 10 to adjust the air gap between the magnet 7 and bolt 9.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of thread winding process and apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in thread winding process and apparatus for gradually decreasing tension in a thread as it is wound onto a take-up spool, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l.- Thread winding apparatus, comprising in combination, a take-up spool; a thread tension means along which thread travels to said take-up spool to be wound thereon, said thread tension means comprising a movably mounted tension adjusting part having a magnetic portion; a circular magnet turnably mounted on the apparatus adjacent to said tension adjusting part for movement about a stationary aXis passing through the center of said magnet from a first position where a pole of said magnet is located closely adjacent said portion of said tension adjusting part to produce a relatively large force on said portion of said tension adjusting part to a second position where said pole of said magnet is more distant from said portion of said tension adjusting part to produce a relatively small force on said portion of said tension adjusting part; and linkage means bearing against said takeup spool and connected at one end to said magnet for turning said magnet toward said second position as the amount of thread on said take-up spool increases.

2. Thread winding apparatus, comprising in combination, a stationary grate structure; a movable grate structure pivotally mounted on the apparatus adjacent the stationary grate structure for meshing therewith to produce tension in a thread moving between said meshing grate structures; a circular magnet turnably mounted on the apparatus adjacent to said movable grate structure for movement about a stationary axis passing through the center of said magnet; a magnetic bolt threadedly mounted on said movable grate structure and being located opposite a side face of said magnet so as to adjustably regulate the air gap between said bolt and magnet; a take-up spool rotatably mounted on the apparatus for receiving thread passing between said grate structures; and linkage means bearing against said spool and being operatively connected at one end to said magnet for turning the latter from a position where a pole of said magnet is located adjacent said bolt to a position where said pole of said magnet is located more distant from said bolt as the diameter of the thread on said spool increases.

3. Thread winding apparatus, comprising in combination, a take-up spool; a circular magnet turnably mounted on the apparatus for movement about a stationary axis passing through the center of said magnet; a stationary grate structure mounted on the apparatus adjacent said magnet; a movable grate structure pivotally mounted on the apparatus for movement into a meshing position with said stationary grate structure for tensioning a thread passing between said grate structures to said take-up spool, said movable grate structure having an arm fixed thereto and movable toward a side face of said magnet as said movable grate structure moves into said meshing position; a magnetic bolt threadedly mounted on said arm and having an end located opposite said side face of said magnet for regulating the air gap between said bolt and magnet; and linkage means bearing against said take-up spool and being operatively connected at oneend to said magnet for turning the latter about said axis from a position where a pole of said magnet is located adjacent said bolt to a position where said pole of said magnet is located more distant from said bolt to decrease the influence of said magnet on said bolt as the sdiameterlof the thread on said take-up spool increases.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,190,261 Feaster Feb. 13, 1940 2,217,094 Beckman Oct. 8, 1940 2,253,521 Hitchcock Aug. 26, 1941 

